PM Modi Flags Off Vande Bharat, Inaugurates Chenab & Anji Marvels
Launches Rs 46,000 crore J&K push with rail, road, and health infra boost
VINOD BHAT
KATRA-JAMMU, June 6: In a historic push to transform infrastructure and connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River and India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji, while flagging off two Vande Bharat Express trains that will connect the holy town of Katra with Srinagar.
PM Modi began his day at the S-70 View Point, perched high above the Chenab River, where he took in the breathtaking sight of the Chenab Rail Bridge—an engineering marvel standing 359 metres above the riverbed and stretching 1,315 metres across the gorge. The bridge, part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, is built to endure high seismic activity and gusty winds, enabling safer and quicker travel between Jammu and the Kashmir Valley.
Interacting with engineers and workers of the USBRL project, PM Modi lauded their resilience in executing one of India’s most difficult infrastructure undertakings in the treacherous Himalayan terrain. The USBRL project, worth around Rs 43,780 crore, features 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, and with its final leg completed, establishes all-weather railway connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country.
Adding to the list of firsts, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the Anji Khad Bridge—India’s maiden cable-stayed railway bridge—constructed in steep mountainous terrain, setting another milestone in railway engineering.
The day also saw the flagging off of two Vande Bharat trains, which will now run between Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar, significantly improving connectivity for pilgrims, students, businesses, and tourists, while further integrating the Union Territory with the national rail network.
Later at Katra, PM Modi unveiled a comprehensive development package worth over Rs 46,000 crore, encompassing critical infrastructure across transport and health sectors.
Major road projects include the widening of Rafiabad-Kupwara road (NH-701) and the Shopian Bypass on NH-444, with combined costs exceeding Rs 1,952 crore. Two strategically important flyovers at Sangrama Junction (NH-1) and Bemina Junction (NH-44) were also inaugurated to improve traffic movement in urban Srinagar.
In the healthcare sector, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Reasi, the district’s first medical college, with an investment of over Rs 350 crore. The institution is expected to enhance access to quality healthcare and medical education in the region.
Friday’s multi-pronged initiatives marked a significant leap forward for Jammu and Kashmir’s integration into the national development narrative—bridging not just geography but also aspirations.
